Loosing Fish On Streamers

[FlyTrapper]

Hey guys!

I have been using streamers much more, for Bull trout and Cutthroats too. I have noticed that I get a lot of strikes and sometimes fight the fish for a couple seconds but then end up loosing them, I am thinking that this may be because the fish is biting the back of the streamer and not the hook. Is there anything I can do to improve my success or is this something I should just get used too?

Thank you!

[angler]

Yeah, you'll lose a few.

I certainly experience this occasionally when fishing long tailed sculpins to cutties. Not so much with bulls.

But, try to slow your hook set a tad, you may pulling too quickly and pulling the fly almost out of the mouth. There is not much difference, but a split second can make a huge difference. Maybe also slow your strip speed a bit. May lead to other outcomes. Worth a try if you haven't already.

[Guest bigdirty]

Strip set. Feel the weight. Lift the rod.

[FraserN]

It is a common problem. Fish strike short. I found the best solution is to tie on a smaller stinger hook at the shank, then clip the barb of the main hook. This increases hook ups significantly. Fish still get lost, but more fish (especially in the early spring) come to the net.

[Jayhad]

I've got agree with Bowflyman. I'll add that I've fished streamers pretty much exclusively for the last few years and observing browns in small waters has led me to believe that the predator fish tries to clip the tail of the prey. The predator then swings around to eat the immobilized prey. I'm sure others have witnessed this.

 

I like Sz 18 stingers tied into the very end of the tail and when I get a short strike that doesn't stick I just stop striping, feed a bit of line and dead drift. The fish will set themselves on the returning strike.

[SilverDoctor]

How often do you sharpen your hooks? Swinging streamers can dull em quick against rocks etc. Should be sticky sharp.

[FlyTrapper]

Sounds like I should work on technique and tie some stingers, thank you for the input guys! Much appreciated!

[bowbonehead]

Although you sometimes don't have the choice depending on river conditions you might try fishing with smaller lighter streamers particularly in lower flows. Sometimes the bigger weighted flies (barbelled/coneheads) have a way of levering themselves out as the bigger hook wears a bigger hole in the fishes mouth the longer you play them... and as others have mentioned you can't be too sharp even when they are new!

[scel]

Hey guys!

I have been using streamers much more, for Bull trout and Cutthroats too. I have noticed that I get a lot of strikes and sometimes fight the fish for a couple seconds but then end up loosing them, I am thinking that this may be because the fish is biting the back of the streamer and not the hook. Is there anything I can do to improve my success or is this something I should just get used too?

Thank you!

 

I am not an expert, but I have gone through this learning process recently myself. I would wager you are not strip setting. With a streamer and a fly rod, it is important to set the hook with a strip set instead of trout set. I went through the learning process this year fishing for pike and bass. They just have tougher mouths. Here is how I know that I was not setting the hook properly...

 

My first pass of bass this summer, I was super frustrated because I could not keep them on on both topwater and streamers. It would be a few vigorous head shakes and then nothing. This is how I know I was not setting the hook properly. I would bring the pike all the way up to the boat. The pike would see the boat, spit out the hook, and swim away. As soon as I made this realization, my hook-ups immediately increased. Back to bass for a few weeks, my hookups doubled. Fishing fall pike, i believe I easily doubled my hookups. It translates directly to trout. Trout have softer mouths, and you do not need to be as aggressive in the set as bass or pike.

 

The trout set is makes sense for small needle-like hooks and light tippet. When casting gear, the rods are much stiffer and can generate significantly more force, so a violent rod jerk can generate enough force, but fly rods are significantly more supple. I remember bcube saying 'when fishing streamers, strip set!". It makes perfect sense. With streamers you are generally using bigger hooks that require more force to have purchase. If you ever have a chance to fish saltwater, you will be glad you took the time building a strip set habit.

[FlyTrapper]

Thank you for the replies guys, very much appreciated!